Sept 24, 2018, Southern Star: Over 1,500 children are waiting for a disability diagnosis https://www.southernstar.ie/news/roundup/articles/2018/09/24/4162288-over-1500-children-are-waiting-for-a-disability-diagnosis/ CORK and Kerry have a combined waiting list of 1,578 children overdue an assessment for a suspected disability – 40% of the country’s overall figure. And one Bandon mum is so desperate to get her son’s special needs officially assessed so she can avail of supports quickly, that she has taken out a credit union loan of €700 [$1,044 US dollars] to pay for private assessment. The two-and-a half year old toddler from Bandon, who has suspected autism, has been waiting nine months for his Assessment of Need (AON) which would give him access to things like an SNA at pre-school, as well as speech and occupational therapies. … An AON allows a child access things like specialist pre-schools, special classes or allow a school to apply for an SNA on their behalf. Some school places specifically require a HSE AON diagnosis. … ‘Our club is supporting around 10 families who are waiting for an official diagnosis. Many of them are pre-school age, but simply can’t go as they don’t have access to special supports,’ she said. Deputy Murphy O’Mahony said she believed delays were caused by staffing levels: ‘We have been promised 129 teams every year for the past three years, and every year the HSE has failed to meet that target,’ she said. …
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Childhood Lost
Children today are noticeably different from previous generations, and the proof is in the news coverage we see every day. This site shows you what’s happening in schools around the world. Children are increasingly disabled and chronically ill, and the education system has to accommodate them. Things we've long associated with autism, like sensory issues, repetitive behaviors, anxiety and lack of social skills, are now problems affecting mainstream students. Blame is predictably placed on bad parenting (otherwise known as trauma from home).
Addressing mental health needs is as important as academics for modern educators. This is an unrecognized disaster. The stories here are about children who can’t learn or behave like children have always been expected to. What childhood has become is a chilling portent for the future of mankind.
Anne Dachel, Media editor, Age of Autism
http://www.ageofautism.com/media/
(John Dachel, Tech. assist.)
What will happen in another 4 years? How can we go on like this? This is a national (and international) problem of monumental proportions. We have an entire new class of children who cannot be accommodated by the system: many are manifestly neurologically impaired. Meanwhile, the government and the medical profession sleep on regardless.
John Stone,
UK media editor, Age of Autism
The generation of American children born after 1990 are arguably the sickest generation in the history of our country.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
It seemed to me that with rising autism prevalence, you’d also see rising autism costs to society, and it turns out, the costs are catastrophic.
They calculated that in 2015 autism cost the United States $268 billion and they projected that if autism continues at its current rate, we’re looking at one trillion dollars a year in autism costs by 2025, so within five years.
Toby Rogers, PhD, Political economist
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